Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-21
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
PENSION VETOES IN THE SENATE.
ABUSES UNDER THE LAND LAWS.
The Presumption Repeal Bill in the House,

49, oS6S OAOhn LII AANO Liza W ps
The Presumption Repeal Bill in the House.
The Senate.
The Presiding officer presented petitions from
ga large number Of Grand Army posts" OF Ohio,
1or the passage Of the dependent pension bill
the Presidents veto. Laid on the table (Similar
petltions were also presented by several other
Senators.1
TWO PENSION vEToEs.
Also messages from the President vetoing the
bills granting pensions to John Reed, ST., and
Chariotte ONeal. Referred to the committee on
pensions.
Mr.. Blair asked the presiding offcer how it was
tnaI tneSe veto messages had been published
before being submitted to the senate.
Tne presiding officer replied that they had been
r. Ieceiseo On saturday afternoon at an hour when
erty."
Mr.. Evarts presented resolutions of the New
York board Of trade and transportation in favor Of
aMppIopr1ate M legislation for sea coast defenses.
Laid on the table.
Mr.: Berry introduced bill to grant to the Fort
Smith and Ell Paso Railroad company the right OF
way through the Indian Territory. Referred to
the committee on Indian affairs
IN CUBAN PRISON.
Mr.. Morgan offered resolution instructing the
COAiii1iAoVOC OA W
causes OF the Imprisonment of Civilo POubla, an
aged citizen OF the United States in cuba, by
order OF the governor of Cuba. Referred to the
committee on foreign relations
A feSOlut10n heretofore offered by Mr.. Mitchell
(Ore.), tnstructng the judiciary committee to in
qure and report as to the causes Of delay in reSum
Ing work on the canal and locks OF the cascades in
the Columbia river in the fall OF 1886, and OF the
change in the engineer In charge of the work, was
taken up; and Mr.. Mitchell addressed the Sem
ate In favor of the resolution. In the course
! 6pnOnnPa6~ 6~fh conduct
John g. Parke, colonel OF engineers in regard to
the appropriation and to the change OF local en-
gineerS, as unreasonable, arbitrary and illegal,
not to say tyrannical and defiant"
49, MI: Conger, by unanimous consent replied to
the re remarks marx & OF NJ Mitchell and defended Col
Parke 1rom the attack made upon him.
House of Representatives.
MI. Dingley Me) presented memorials of Sedge-
wick Post, G. A. r., Bath, Me- and Edwin Lbbey
Post, ROckland, Me-, asking for the passage Of the
dependent pension bill over the Presidents veto
Referred.
Mr.. Randall F'a.) presented memorial OF the
Rhode Island Radical Peace society against ex-
penditures for war vessels and fortifcations. Re-
ferred.
REPORT ON CONTESTED ELECTION CASE.
Mr.. Henderson (N. CO., from the committee on
elections submitted report on the Indiana con-
tested election case Of Kidd against Steele and it
was laid over until Thursday. lThe report which
is unanimous, confirms the right Of the contestee,
Steele, to the seat.]
oUTRAGAEoUs ABUSES UNDER THE LAND LAWS.
Mr.. Cobb Qnd) then called up the conference re-
port-a report Of disagreement-on the bill repeal
ing the pre-emption, timber culture and desert
land laws.
MIR. stone CMo.) said that the rapid augmenta-
tion OF the population OF the country the rapid
ing demand for homes has led the committee on
public lands TO report measure to the House pro-
viding for the repeal OF the pre-emption timber
culture and desert land laws. Outrageous and
ScandalOuS abuses had grown up under existing
LAWS which had been taken advantage OF by cor
morAAtS and land sharks in order to secure mil
lions Of acres Of the public lands. These
abuses the committee had sought to correct.
The tn bill had gone to the Senate which had adop,
all that the House had asked. But it had gone
further and inserted several provisions to which
provisions would result in confirming nine-tenths
OF all the fraudulent entries, amounting to mil
lions OF acres. The Senate conferees, however,
had agreed that this provision be eliminated.
District Interests i'm Congress.
A POOR PROSPECT OF GETTING ANY FURTHER LEGISLA-
TON THROUGH THE HOUSE.
The members Of the House District committee
are trying to get a resolution reported from the
committee on rules for another day for the passage
Of bills OF interest to the District, but there is
little chance OF their being successful. The CON-
mittee on rules it is understood, is disposed to
port the resolution, except for one reason: The
friends OF the educational bill and of some other
measures to which there is much opposition are
waiting aoG snch u NJ TO IN IN that they
measure In the place Of the District In fact, IL is
said the rules committee had practically decided
OF the intention Of Mr. Willis to use that method
OF getting the educational bill before the House.
It Is now likely that the COMMITTEES on rules will
ignore all resolutions changing the rules, and the
District Will thus be cut out of its day.
A REFoRMAToRY FOR NEBRIATES.
A petition OF the executive committee OF the
Womens Christian Temperance union for the pas
sage of the bill for the establishment OF hospital
and reformatory was presented In the
House Saturday.
FIXING THE RATE OF INTEREST.
In the Senate to-day MI. Hale introduced bill
to amend chapter 81 Of the District revised stat
utes so as to provide that all agreements to receive
greater interest on goods, bonds, etc., than is
prescribed In section 713 shall be void and it also
prescribes fine Of not over 1000 for the ofrense
OF receiving or agreeing to accept greater inter-
est discount or consideration than Is prescribed
In Sectlon 7l3. Referred to District committee.
LOCAL OPTION.
In the Senate to-day Mr. Sherman presented q
petition from temperance organizations of Frank
lin county, Ohio. urging the passage OF the bill to
permit the people Of the District OF Columbia to
vote on the question OF prohibition.
THE GARFIELD STATUE UNWILLING.
In the Senate to-day Mr.. Manderson offered an
amendment to the legislative bill to appropriate
$A1sOO w uCtLdJ Uuc CApcuSc dtUcuUIUk tuo uu-
yelling OF the statue OF the late Gen. j. A. Gar.
field in this city.
TO PAY FOR WORK ON THE DAM.
In The Senate Mr.. Palmer offered an amendment
| to the deficiency bill to allow Chittenden Bros.
s15 600 for money expended in the construction OF
the dam at Great Falls in excess OF what was con-
templated by the contract Referred to apprOpria-
tiOnS committee.
Capitol Topics.
REDEEMING THE TRADE DOLLAR.
The conference report upon the bill to redeem
trade dollar has been agreed to by both houses
| OF Congress, and the bill now requires only the
Presidents signature to make it law It pro
vdes that for six months after the passage OF the
act trade dollars, ii not defaced, mutilated OF
stamped, shall be received at the Office OF the
treasurer or any assistant treasurer OF the United
states IN exchange for like amount OF standard
silver dollars or subsidiary coins; that the trade
dollars SO received shall not be reissued, but, at
the expense OF the United States shall be trans
mitted to the coinage mints and recoined into
standard silver dollars or subsidiary coin, pro
v1ded that the trade dollars so recOined shall not
pc counted as part OF the silver bullion required tC
| De purchased and coined into standard dollars.
pu\